Massage parlor is closed for unlawful practices

Thursday

Dec 6, 2012 at 6:00 AMDec 7, 2012 at 12:00 AM

By Michael Kane BANNER EDITOR

Police have closed a massage parlor, where they say sex acts were being offered for money.

Detective Marcello Tavano said the non-descript massage parlor was located at 3 Bowles Ave. since August. The business advertised itself online and with a small sign in the window as “Deep Relaxing Body Work.”

After the business was operational for a few months, the sign was removed and the only indication that a business was in the location was a small, neon “Open” sign.

“It was a very small business, you would hardly have noticed it,” Tavano said.

In September, the department received an anonymous complaint about the business. West Boylston officers, working in conjunction with the state Division of Professional Licensure, placed the business under surveillance, Tavano said.

“As a result of the surveillance, several customers were interviewed after leaving the business. Several admitted to paying for acts of a sexual nature as part of the massage,” Tavano said.

Tavano said such business are not uncommon, and are often advertised online as “Asian massage” parlors.

“That’s essentially a keyword for this type of activity,” he said. “Worcester has closed a number of them.”

Clientele for the West Boylston location came from all over the state, Tavano said. That, he noted, is not a surprise to police.

“That’s typical,” he said. “A person living in Sterling wouldn’t go to a place in Sterling or nearby, in case someone recognized him.”

The business was licensed to a Worcester resident, Dr. Frederick Chassman.

As a result of the investigation, the West Boylston business was closed and Chassman was fined $1,000 by the Board of Registration of Massage Therapy, which is a division of the Division of Inspectional Services.

“We interviewed Dr. Chassman and he said he was unaware of what was going on at the business. He said he opened it for a friend,” Tavano said.

Tavano said any investigation going forward will likely be done by other agencies.

“As far as West Boylston is concerned, the business is closed,” he said. “We’ll keep an eye out in the future if anything like this should pop up.”